SATURDAY AT THE GREAT SOUTH BAY MUSIC FESTIVAL

It was impossible to cover all of the fantastic bands that performed at the Great South Bay Music Festival in Patchogue, NY this past weekend. However, on Saturday I knew I had to check out the talented band, Sir Cadian Rhythm on the Jambalaya stage and I’m really glad I did not miss this experience.

Sir Cadian Rhythm is a local Long Island based band that fuses influences such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Incubus. The musicians come from a variety of backgrounds including a music teacher, jazz performer and a progressive rock performer. With that distinct blend of sounds, Sir Cadian Rhythm drew a dancing crowd to their stage. What I loved most about this band is not only were they a group of experienced and talented musicians, but they simply looked like they were having a blast on stage. The bass player had an enormous amount of energy and couldn’t stay still throughout the entire performance, the lead singer sang every song with notable passion and the rest of the band members were smiling and grooving to every song. With catchy tunes like, “Holly’s on Fire” and “Flood of XVI,” Sir Cadian Rhythm is a band the audience will never forget.

Sir Cadian Rhythm

Sir Cadian Rhythm

Sir Cadian Rhythm

Sir Cadian Rhythm

Sir Cadian Rhythm fans

Sir Cadian Rhythm fans

Sir Cadian Rhythm

Sir Cadian Rhythm

Sir Cadian Rhythm

Sir Cadian Rhythm

Sir Cadian Rhythm

Sir Cadian Rhythm

Sir Cadian Rhythm

Sir Cadian Rhythm

Sir Cadian Rhythm

Sir Cadian Rhythm

 

After checking out Sir Cadian Rhythm at the Jambalaya stage, I made my way to the main Blue Point Brews stage to see the Vermont based jam band, Twiddle. I think the rest of the audience can relate when I say that Twiddle performs music that you can lose yourself in. They have a complex sound that seamlessly combines a variety of genres such as reggae, jazz and funk. Although Twiddle is mostly a jam band, they did play a few tunes that featured the vocals of Mihali, who has a way of putting a positive lyrical twist to catchy instrumental rhythms.

Twiddle

Twiddle

Twiddle

Twiddle

Twiddle

Twiddle

Twiddle

Twiddle

Twiddle

Twiddle

Twiddle

Twiddle

Twiddle

Twiddle

 

The highlight of my evening was the incredible Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds and how they managed to blow the audience away after just one song. With Sister Sparrow’s (Arleigh Kincheloe’s) unbelievable set of pipes backed by the ever impressive band of the Dirty Birds, they are a band you don’t want to miss, especially live. Out of all of the female singers I have seen rock the stage, I have never seen anyone like Sister Sparrow who completely captivated the audience with her spunky personality and the lion’s share of passion that she puts into every song she sang. There’s no doubt that this entire band is talented with their soulful and funky rock-and-roll sound, but I find the need to give a shout out to Jackson Kincheloe and his jaw-dropping harmonica solo during “Borderline.” After their performance, a gentleman next to me commented that he could listen to Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds live for hours. I couldn’t agree more.

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds

 

The Chris Robinson Brotherhood, a 5-piece blues rock band originating from Los Angeles, was the last opening band of the evening before Lotus. This easy-going band, who was originally just a musical experiment between friends, drew the audience in with sounds reminiscent of improvisational jazz and blues.

Chris Robinson Brotherhood

Chris Robinson Brotherhood

Chris Robinson Brotherhood

Chris Robinson Brotherhood

Chris Robinson Brotherhood

Chris Robinson Brotherhood

Chris Robinson Brotherhood

Chris Robinson Brotherhood

Chris Robinson Brotherhood

Chris Robinson Brotherhood

Chris Robinson Brotherhood

Chris Robinson Brotherhood

Chris Robinson Brotherhood

Chris Robinson Brotherhood

Chris Robinson Brotherhood

Chris Robinson Brotherhood

 

The last band of the evening, Lotus, turned the entire festival into an electronic dance party and I admit that even I had a hard time standing still while photographing this band. Lotus is known for their jam band and “livetronica” sound as well as the complex lighting they use during their live performances that syncs up with the rhythm of each song. From the first song on, the audience couldn’t get enough of this band and didn’t stop grooving up until the moment the band finished their last song.

Lotus

Lotus

Lotus

Lotus

Lotus

Lotus

Lotus

Lotus

Lotus

Lotus

Lotus

Lotus

Lotus

Lotus

Lotus

Lotus

 

Lotus formed as a band at Goshen College in Indiana in the late 1990’s and eventually formed a distinguished sound and the ability to seamlessly improvise an impressive collection of songs during their live shows. The band is a 5-piece ensemble consisting of a guitarist, bassist, drummer, keyboardist and percussionist and at one point or another in their performance, each member had the opportunity to dazzle us with their remarkable musicianship on solos.

Lotus

Lotus

Lotus

Lotus

Lotus

Lotus

Lotus

Lotus

Lotus

Lotus

Lotus

Lotus

Lotus

Lotus

Lotus

Lotus

 

With the the lights dancing across the stage and the driving bass booming through our bodies, watching Lotus perform live was a truly transcendental experience.

 

Article and Photos: Jenna Petrone

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